The Opposition Congress on Friday said the BJP government’s decision to amend the Karnataka Prevention of Cow Slaughter and Prevention of Animals Act, 1964, will increase farmers’ hardship owing to increasing breeding cost and shortage of fodder. It would cause job loss to lakhs of people who are dependent on the leather industry, the party said.
The Congress, which boycotted the Legislative Assembly session on Thursday, said through the Bill, the government’s intention was whipping up peoples’ sentiment and disturbing communal peace in society. Instead of addressing the misery caused to farmers by floods and droughts, the government has been driving farmers into debt trap by increasing the burden, said Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah.
Import of fodder
Addressing mediapersons on the anti-cow slaughter Bill, Mr. Siddaramaiah said the State imports nearly 40% of the fodder from other States and it was extremely difficult for farmers to feed unproductive cows and bulls during drought. He said the Bill hurts the interests of farmers and accused the BJP of trying to polarise communities by targeting beef and its consumers.
The State government introduced and passed the Bill in the Assembly without conducting any studies to find out its adverse social and economic implications on farmers and other sections of people, the Congress leader claimed. Nearly six crore cows stop giving milk in the country every year. Farmers incur expenditure of ₹100 a day on breeding cattle, he said.
Giving national statistics, Mr. Siddaramaiah said the country was the third largest exporter of beef and second largest exporter of leather products in the world. Lakhs of people belonging to the SC, ST, and OBC communities depend on the leather industry and the anti-cow slaughter Bill would render them jobless, he said.
State’s cattle population
In Karnataka alone, 38 lakh families domesticate cows and buffaloes, according to the 19th livestock census. According to 20th census, the State has 84.69 lakh cows, including local breeds, and 29.84 lakh buffaloes. About 23 lakh tonnes of fodder was required per month to feed these domestic animals in the State and farmers have been facing severe shortage of fodder during drought years.
The State witnessed 15 years of drought during the last 20 years, the Congress leader said, and demanded that the government withdraw the Bill in the interest of farmers and other sections of people.
KPCC president D.K. Shivakumar asked the government to purchase unproductive and aged cows from farmers by fixing a price. “Let the BJP leaders purchase cows from farmers and feed them in their houses or on their land,” he said.
Awareness campaign
The party would launch awareness campaigns on the Bill at the taluk-level across the State after elections to gram panchayats. The Congress would shelve “all the anti-farmer laws” soon after it returns to power, Mr. Shivakumar said.
An amendment to the 1964 law was passed during B.S. Yediyurappa’s earlier stint as the Chief Minister. However, it was shelved in 2013 by the Siddaramaiah government after the Bill failed to get the Governor’s assent.
